info@businessghana.com
There were few positives to take in the Dundee camp after Saturday's defeat to relegation rivals Ross County left James McPake's side rooted to the foot of the Scottish Premiership.
However, the Dens Park men - who are nine league games without a win - had a glimmer of hope to cling to in the performance of 22-year-old striker Zak Rudden, who netted on his first start for the club.
The January signing's first-half opening goal was not enough to avoid defeat, but are there signs the Scotland Under-21 cap can be the difference in his new club's quest for survival?
BBC Scotland examines how key the Rangers youth product could be.
Rudden's impressive first half of the season at second-tier Partick Thistle had Premiership clubs on high alert.
The ex-Falkirk forward's eight goals in 19 Championship games has helped fuel a title bid for the Firhill side.
But the striker, who had signed a pre-contract with Dundee, swapped a promotion push for a survival dogfight in January after a deal was agreed to bring the move forward.
The Dens Park club reportedly fought off interest from Premiership rivals St Johnstone and Motherwell to secure Rudden, and Thistle right-back Richard Foster believes his former team-mate could prove to be a "very important" acquisition for McPake.
"I'm gutted he left Thistle," the Sportscene pundit tells BBC Scotland. "Outside the Old Firm and Liam Boyce at Hearts, there aren't many better Premiership strikers than Zak, in terms of what he brings the team.
"He's very dynamic, very sharp and a good goalscorer. You've seen that already with the way he stretches teams and how composed he is.
"His movement is very clever, especially for someone so young, and you could see County's defence didn't enjoy playing against him. But if Dundee are going to stay up, they need to make sure he keeps scoring."
The dynamism Foster highlights was evident in Rudden's goal against County, with the forward spinning off the shoulder of his marker to make space for himself.
The composure the Thistle defender references was also demonstrated in the ex-Plymouth Argyle man's finish, taking one touch to set himself before rifling past the keeper.
In 103 minutes across two games in a Dundee shirt, Rudden has hit the target with all three shots he has fashioned for himself.
But those efforts have come from just three touches inside the opposition box, suggesting McPake's side must do more to provide for their striker, who Foster believes is a future Scotland international.
"Once Dundee get used to how he plays, they've got players in the likes of Charlie Adam who can find the passes," Foster adds. "Zak constantly plays on the defender's shoulder. In a split second, he makes a move and he's away."
"He has a desire to score goals and be the best player on the pitch, but sometimes he puts so much pressure on himself, which is unusual for someone his age."
With daunting league fixtures against Hearts and Celtic bookending a potential banana skin Scottish Cup tie at Peterhead, Dundee will hope their new acquisition is capable of putting the pressure of the club's survival bid on his young shoulders.
Ex-Scotland international Leanne Crichton on BBC Sportscene
It's been a really strong start for Rudden. He was a really strong performer on Saturday, particularly in the first half, leading the line ever so well.
He picks up good areas and knows how to bring his team-mates into play. He plays beyond his maturity as well, something we have seen a lot of in the Championship.
